Chop Cheese Egg Rolls (NY Bodega Classic, Rolled Up)
The New York bodega chop cheese, rolled into an egg roll — seasoned beef, caramelized onion, and sharp cheddar with a burger-style dipping sauce I call "banging." The egg-roll family keeps winning on this channel, and this is its boldest member. You should get ten to twelve out of a batch.
That dipping sauce is the first thing you see in the video for a reason — I show it off up front, then walk you through it the moment the filling comes off the heat: mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, a little garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Make it while the cooked beef cools down and the timing takes care of itself.
The prep list is honestly one job: dice a whole large onion — everything else happens in the skillet. The part I'll be straight with you about is the rolling. It's tedious, and if you've never rolled egg rolls before it can be the most frustrating part, so do not try to rush it. Wipe water around the edge, close up the sides so nothing seeps out, and take your time on each one. Stick with it and you'll land where I did — ten rolls exactly, with all of the meat used up.
Watch me make it — video from my YouTube channel
The recipe
Chop Cheese Egg Rolls (NY Bodega Classic, Rolled Up)
Ingredients
- oil (just enough to cover the bottom of the skillet, for sauteing)
- 1 large white onion
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 teaspoon salt (beef seasoning)
- 1 teaspoon pepper (beef seasoning)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder (beef seasoning)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder (beef seasoning)
- 1 teaspoon paprika (beef seasoning)
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (beef seasoning)
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 10–12 egg roll wrappers
- water (for sealing the wrappers)
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise (for the sauce)
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (for the sauce)
- 1 teaspoon garlic paste (for the sauce; or 1 teaspoon garlic powder — substitute amount)
- salt and pepper, to taste (for the sauce)
- about 1/2 inch of oil in the skillet, for frying
- olive oil (optional, for brushing if air-frying or baking instead)
How to Make It
- Dice 1 whole large onion (the only prep in this recipe).
- Heat a skillet over medium heat with just enough oil to cover the bottom so the food doesn't stick.
- Add the diced onions and cook them down until translucent and just starting to caramelize.
- Push the onions aside to leave a little open space in the skillet.
- Add about 1 pound ground beef to the open space, keeping the heat at medium.
- Sprinkle the seasoning over the top of the beef.
- Break the beef down as it cooks, mixing it together with the onions.
- Cook until the beef is completely browned and cooked through.
- Turn off the heat.
- Fold in sharp cheddar cheese, as much as you like.
- Set the filling aside to cool down.
- Make the sauce: stir together 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons ketchup, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon garlic paste (or garlic powder), and salt and pepper to taste.
- Set up your egg roll station: wrappers, the cooled filling, and water for sealing.
- Spread a small bed of shredded cheddar on the wrapper first, then place the cooled beef filling on top of the cheese.
- Dip a finger in water and wipe it around the edges of the wrapper.
- Fold in and seal the sides so nothing seeps out.
- Roll the wrapper up tightly around the filling.
- Repeat with the remaining filling — you should get about 10–12 egg rolls.
- Heat about 1/2 inch of oil in a skillet.
- Test the oil by dipping the back of a wooden spoon in it — when bubbles form around the spoon, the oil is ready.
- Add the egg rolls in batches, leaving a little space between them.
- Keep rotating them as they fry — they cook very fast.
- Remove the egg rolls to a rack once they are dark golden brown and crispy.
- Serve with the dipping sauce.
Curtis's Tips
- I don't call out the seasoning blend on camera — don't worry, I got you: it's listed in the video's description box. (The seasoning amounts in the ingredient list above are taken from that description box.)
- Water works fine for sealing the wrappers — most people use an egg wash, but "you're safe with water, I've made plenty of egg rolls using water."
- Garlic paste vs. garlic powder in the sauce is up to you — garlic paste is just "a little bit fresher" of an option.
- "You guys got to try this sauce out — this sauce is banging."
- Rolling is tedious — do not rush it. If you've never rolled egg rolls before, this can be the most frustrating part.
- Seal the sides well — you don't want any filling seeping out. You can also make the rolls bigger than shown.
- Air fryer option: brush the rolls all around with olive oil and air fry. Same idea for the oven — but don't put them on a flat regular pan; use a pan with a separation rack so the oil can drip off and the egg rolls don't go soggy.
- No thermometer? Stick the back of a wooden spoon in the oil — when bubbles form around it, the oil is hot enough.
- Stay close while frying — don't walk away, these cook very fast.
- It's okay to rotate them right away when skillet-frying ("let nobody else tell you differently"). Skillet-frying is different from deep-frying — in a deep fryer you don't have to move them as much.
Why this works
Onion first is the rule in this skillet. It goes in over just enough oil to cover the bottom — so the food doesn't stick — and cooks down until it's translucent and starting to caramelize before the beef ever hits the pan. The beef then browns in a cleared space right alongside those onions over medium heat, with the seasoning sprinkled straight over the top. The cheddar waits until the heat is off — I fold it through the hot beef rather than cooking it. And watch the rolling closely, because the cheese goes in twice: a loose bed of shredded cheddar sits directly on the wrapper, and the beef mixture goes on top of it. Sealed up tight, these fry to a dark golden, and you can hear the crispy.
FAQ
Can I air fry or bake these instead of frying?
Yes. Brush them all around with olive oil and place them in the air fryer. Same thing with the oven — but don't put them on a regular flat pan. Use a pan with a separation rack so the oil can drip off; otherwise it seeps in and makes the egg rolls soggy.
Do I need an egg wash to seal the wrappers?
No — water. I know most people use some type of egg wash, but you're safe with water; I've made plenty of egg rolls using it. Dip a finger, wipe it around the edge of the wrapper, and make sure those sides are closed too, so nothing seeps out.
How do I know the oil is hot enough without a thermometer?
Take a wooden spoon and stick the back of it into the oil. When you see bubbles forming around the spoon, the oil is hot and you're good to go.
How much cheese should go in the filling?
My on-camera rule is as much as your heart desires, folded in after the heat is off. If you want a number to shop from, the ingredient list above calls for two cups of shredded sharp cheddar. Just remember the second hit at the rolling station — loose cheddar goes right on the wrapper before the beef mixture.
Do I have to watch them the whole time they fry?
Stay close — these cook very fast, so don't move too far away. Fry in batches with a little space between them and keep rotating; it's okay to rotate them right away, don't let nobody else tell you differently. Skillet-frying is different from deep-frying, where you don't have to play with them as much. Pull them onto a rack once they're dark golden and crispy.
Estimated nutrition, per serving (recipe makes about 4 servings): ~1246 calories · 43 g protein · 92 g fat · 59 g carbs. Computed from the ingredient list using standard reference values — an estimate, not a lab analysis; your exact brands and portions will vary.
